God Knows Our Needs

"Behold, the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matthew 6: 26)

Gwen's bedroom window looks out on a little pond. A family of mallard ducks lives there all year long. So does a noisy flock of Canadian geese. Sometimes in the spring, there is a wood duck with feathers of so many colors that he looks like someone painted him as an art project. Gwen evens see a blue heron visiting the pond sometimes, wading into the water on its long legs and poking its beak into the tall grasses on the shore.

Gwen used to wonder if birds are able to think. What would they think about? She used her imagination.... "Hmm. I wonder if I'll find my favorite kind of worm at this pond. I hope the other ducks haven't eaten all the juiciest water bugs! Maybe I should have gone to some other pond. What if I waste so much energy looking for my meal that I'm too worn out to fly afterwards? What if I starve? Who's going to take care of me?"

Then one day, Gwen read Matthew 6:26. It says that birds don't have to plant seeds in fields or store up food in barns. God feeds them. They don't have to worry about their own needs, because God is taking care of them.

God knows your needs, too. Are you worried about something? A move to a new city? A big test at school? A visit to the doctor or dentist? Something you need that costs a lot of money? God knows what you need in each situation. The same God who cares for the birds will take care of you. You matter to Him even more than they do. Trust Him.

God knows our needs and will take care of us.

My Response:» Am I worrying about something? Or am I trusting God to take care of my needs?

Elizabeth Prentiss

“To love Christ more – this is the deepest need, the constant cry of my soul.”

“How dreadfully old I am getting! Sixteen! Well, I don’t see as I can help it.” These words are the first lines in the popular book Stepping Heavenward, written by Elizabeth Payson Prentiss. Born a “pastor’s kid” on January 15, 1815, Elizabeth was the youngest daughter of Edward Payson – a great revival preacher during the 1800s.

More than any other hobby, Elizabeth loved to write and found several opportunities to publish her work. She began writing for the press when she was just sixteen, for instance; and as an adult, she wrote the famous hymn “More Love to Thee, O Christ!” – which is still sung in churches today. Verse one of the hymn begins:

More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee.
This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Stepping Heavenward was published in 1869 as a work of fiction; but all of the events in the story actually came from Elizabeth’s personal life. Elizabeth recognized that true joy is the result of living for Christ and loving others. By 1992, over 100,000 copies of the book had been sold, and countless more have been sold since then.

Samuel Rutherford was one of the preachers whom Elizabeth admired most. He once said, “Faint not; the miles to heaven are but few and short.” No doubt his words influenced Elizabeth to title her book “Stepping Heavenward.”

What are you doing to prepare for heaven and eternity? When was the last time you really stopped to think about your eternal life after this temporary life? Are you preparing for your first meeting with Jesus Christ?

Matthew 25:13 – “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Description of God

The King of PeaceHebrews 7:2 – "To whom* also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation 'King of righteousness,' and after that also 'King of Salem,' which is, 'King of peace.'"(*This verse is describing Melchizedek, whom most Bible scholars believe was a "Christophany," a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus Christ on Earth.)

Question & Answer

How can we love Someone we have not seen?

Through faith we love God, even though we have not seen Him. 1 Peter 1:8 – Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

BIG Christian Word

Repentance - (re-pen-tuns)

Repentance is a sorrow for sin and a true desire to turn from sin and walk in obedience to Christ. Faith and repentance must come together. Repentance is an understanding that sin is wrong, realizing and accepting the teachings of the Bible regarding sin and making a personal decision to give up the sin. (Acts 2:38) Then Peter said unto them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 3:19) "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."